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So, Google finally got more Nexus 4 stock in yesterday, which was great, but the really bad news is there’s now a five to six week wait for delivery. Yes, over a month. Christmas is a no-no, and it seems you’d be lucky to even get your mitts on one by early January. What the hell Google?
Seriously. You’ve got the new hotness that is the Android phone to have, and it’s actually affordable. It’s an absolute competition killer, but you can seemingly neither produce them fast enough, nor can your store handle the influx of eager buyers correctly. Google, if you want to dominate the market, which your £240-£280 price point screams, then you have to be able to get the phones out to people.
Right now, although everyone’s still mad-keen on grabbing one, you’re pissing a lot of would-be buyers right off. Sort it out. Sort it out right now, and bloody well ship these things faster for goodness sake. [Google Play via TechRadar]
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It appears Google have made a right mess of this. But maybe they did so for strategic reasons. Just as Microsoft making Surface supposedly pissed off other Windows OEMs maybe Google are limiting supply to avoid antagonising the Android OEMs. Also LG are making the Optimus G (which is basically the same phone but with an LTE Version) and presumably they make more money selling that, so they might be reluctant to increase supply of the nexus at the expense of that.
Errgh. Cracked my iPhone 4S screen weeks before this was released, so annoying. Was going to sell it and buy a Nexus 4.
five to six weeks is effectively ‘out of stock’.
I bought a used 32Gb HTC One X instead. Love it!
First thing that comes to mind is first world problems.
Is this really that big of a deal?
It’s an annoyance if anything
You seem to like saying “first world problems”…..so a few points to think on:
1)This is a tech/gadget site so not too many ‘first world’ problems are likely to appear here.
2)You’re reading this site and commenting which indicates to me you’re not working helping solve “2nd or 3rd world problems” so stop with the holier-than-thou attitude.
You’ve got a fair point.
Have you got your phone yet?
Yes and it’s grrrrreat
Personally I don’t mind so much. People have to wait a month for their phone, so be it. Mine should be delivered in Jan, and I’m happy with that given that it is only £280.
P.S. I hate people who say “first world problem” – apart from the anachronistic and derogatory manner of dividing the world in into first, second and third worlds which hasn’t been used for at least the last two decades, of course it is a ‘first world’ problem, I live in the ‘first world’ so every problem I have is a ‘first world’ problems. What difference does that make to anything?
Good point.
Don’t mind the wait either, my current phone hasn’t exactly expired as soon as I clicked on the ‘Confirm Purchase’ button. I’m just grateful i’ve got the order in.
Don’t really blame Google, I think the demand for this phone shocked them as much as anyone, considering how no one was head over heals over their previous Nexus, and it’s made by LG who, correct me if i’m wrong, are not trend setters
I got the email confirmation saying 1-2 weeks. Sam, is this affecting everyone that ordered yesterday??
I’m assuming that if you got in early enough, then no. But considering the mess Google made of it all last time, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Mine says 3-5 days, but I’m not holding out much hope. How long was it before everything started getting pushed back last time?
The 8GB model has sold out again
and the 5-6 week postage is only on the 16GB model
For me the site does not say 5-6 weeks, and when I ordered one it said 1-2 and I have had no email to say otherwise?
I’m confused as to where this information is from?
How is this a mess? Google have a premium device at such a low price and high rarity that it is actually increasing its value in resale. They are selling out with every new batch with no excess stock costing them money so essentially every device made has already been sold. That is fantastic business!!
Not sure I agree with you on this, Samsung managed (I believe) from Day 1 to keep the flow of S III’s going and now it’s one of the most common phones about.
Wouldn’t it have made more sense for Google to have ‘loads’ of stock so that they could meet demand near instantly and I realise that demand was an unknown variable but at the specs, price and ‘buzz’ they should have predicted better imho.
No.
Firstly, as a third party/non-OEM, ifGoogle had loads of stock, they would have a huge financial liability on that stock which wouldn’t be the case with Samsung who own their supply chain so the any investment is already within their own company thus there is next to no outlay on production or the product. Google would’ve have to invest quite heavily in buying all that stock, and then holding it which is just throwing money away.
Secondly, logic would dictate that Google based their demand forecasts on previous models of Nexus devices which both Samsung and Google have admitted were relatively small. Even with good specs and low price, there is still no guarantee that the device would sell as well as it is, so Google could’ve been left with thousands if not millions of unsold devices if it had matched previous Nexus sales volumes. That would not only burn through significant amounts of cash and devalue the brand, but make them look wholly incompentant and lead to significant media coverage about the apparent demise of Android.
This way, Google have almost nothing invested in redundant, unwanted stock and maintain a premium brand. It also gives them decent publicity because whilst many people berate them for selling out too quickly, and criticise the ordering process, they can explain that away because they are still relatively new to the retailer game, and it also means people keep writing about how in demand the devices are because they are selling out so quickly.
fair points
I don’t agree Udimion. Your arguments are based on the idea that it’s impossible to predict sales in advance. That’s simply not true.
This is a mess by Google and it could have been solved with a simple pre-order button. Logic would dictate that Google would then base their demand on the number of pre-orders plus a little extra stock. That would be the guarantee you say didn’t exist for them at a release – and people would even have already paid.
But even without the pre-order button, they still had another guideline to base stock quantity on: the email notification alerts and the number of people who requested them. That’s not bullet proof, but it gives a pretty solid idea.
Which brings me to mess number two: I signed up to be alerted of stock twice. Both times it has reappeared in stock without any kind of notice whatsoever. I only know it has reappeared in the store because I read tech news. That kind of thing irritates potential buyers. I know, because it has pissed me off.
It is true that a product that sells out creates a buzz, but as none of these companies state how much stock they had initially (and in this case it seems like very little to be honest), it’s not at all worthy of admiration.
I genuinely believe they will have lost a lot of potential buyers as a result of the way they’ve handled this (people who can’t or don’t want to wait for a few months after the date of release to get their hands on one), and they’ve missed out on the whole Christmas market which any retailer will tell you is the most profitable of the year.
Actually that isn’t the entire basis of my argument, my argument is that whilst it may be a bit of a mess, it is still great business from Google because they have almost no potential for a loss on hardware and have a guaranteed sale for every device made.
And whilst your point of pre-orders might make sense for subsequent orders, the N4 it was released a week after it was announced, there is unlikely to be any merit to having a pre-order function initially. And they probably have a fairly confined contract with LG allowing them a set volume of production per day so there would be no point in having a pre-order function there because it will be oversubscribed and you’d still have exactly the same problem as now.
Plus your last point seems to indicate that Google is focused on the retail side of this. But given that they are selling the phone for nearly half the price of every other high-end device, I doubt they care about the money beyond recouping their initial hardware investments. That makes the retail side of things irrelevant because chances are that if you missed out on the N4 you will just buy an alternative android device, and even if you don’t, you are still using google’s services which is where they make their money.
Just because you’re annoyed at Google, doesn’t mean it isn’t great business from them, it just means that they still have room to improve. And if is any consolation, I have to wait 4-5 weeks for delivery of my N4, but I don’t mind that much as it is only going to be back-up for m SGS3 which will continue to be my main phone.
You have an N4 and an SGS3?
That’s just greedy.
EpicGoogleFail
Quite amusing that few would give a shit about this phone if it didn’t have the nexus tag.
Sam, you seem rather upset with Google’s supply issues.
Are you,
a) Seriously wanting to leave the iPhone and can’t wait 5 weeks for a the awesome Nexus?
b) Really want a new TV and was planning to make a quick buck on eBay?
Managed to snag the 16GB version almost immediately when they went up for sale, with a 1-2 week delivery estimate. However, at checkout and confirmation email it says 3-5 business days so should hopefully have it soon.
Seems that delivery times shot up significantly after the first 5-10 mins. Also, no problems with the website and everything was smooth from adding to the basket and then paying.
I ordered the 16GB within 1 minute of opening and got “1-2 weeks” in the confirmation email.
So, not holding out much hope.
Ah, man. I really hope that the delivery estimates do not get stretched by a long margin.
I mean, its not like my phone has stopped working, but just looking forward to having a new gadget to play with and switching to Android.
It is better than the alternative of them not taking any pre orders at all. Seems ironic that we have spent the time since launch complaining about them not taking pre orders and not giving us an ETA yet you are complaining that they are now doing just that.
I haven’t heard anything to say I won’t get mine in 1-2 weeks as it said. But if it took longer I would still be ok with at least having a rough ETA and a guarantee of actually getting one.
They can only be made at set rate and LG still have to make there own phones. They aren’t an all in one powerhouse like Samsung or have the influence of being a big hardware manufacturer to set up whole factories dedicated to manufacturing the device.
I think the pre-order issue is more of a “We’re launching on 13th Nov, the specs are leaking everywhere, this is the price, pre-order now for delivery from the 13th” 2-4 week earlier (ie..mid Oct-beginning Nov.) which would have given them a good idea of demand etc..
Exactly Julian. It’s not a pre-order if the product is already launched…
It said the same thing when I bought my Nexus 7 and that was shipped next day and got to me in the next 2. I think they might just be covering themselves in case something goes wrong.
Dunno why people are moaning.
If you want a new phone there are better out there and worth more too. If you’re mid contract and just want a new phone, then don’t……. keep yours as anything released last year is still good enough.
Which phones are better? I’ve trawled tech sites looking at comparisons and this stands up as possibly the best and cheapest on the market, even vs the S3, iPhone 5 etc.
Exactly, it is. Well, it’s certainly the biggest bang for your buck.
I did a lot of research into it. This is around £250 cheaper than the other “high end” phones ie. the Galaxy SIII and iPhone 5, while being almost as powerful.
In terms of its CPU, it’s significantly more powerful than both. Aside from the Optimus G, I can’t think of another phone that features a quad core “A15-class” chip like the S4 Pro?
The benchmarks might not bear this out, but that can as much to do with the software as the hardware.
Sam, do you know how many they have sold? If not there;s not really much of an issue here. For the price, it is a great piece of kit, but they are in heavy demand. Shortages will occur as only so many can be made at a time.
Fact is, if Google waited until they had 10 million units available and stored them in a building for two months before selling them, you would all be upset that they were not yet available, and just wasting away somewhere.
Erm, what?
They could have had those 10million units ready and waiting the same week they announced this phone.
Google, despite this not being their first hardware launch, just aren’t organized when it comes to logistics. It’s a very silly time of year to play with peoples feelings.
I bought a Nexus 4 yesterday when they finally came back in stock at the Play store.
I wanted to put my money where my mouth is to say “Yes Google, I agree with releasing a powerful Nexus line of phones for a reasonable price, sporting pure Android so the phone isn’t bloated”.
However, the quoted 1-2 weeks delivery time makes me a little less excited, especially as they charge you a 2 day delivery rate of £10.
I rang up Google customer support after placing my order and asked if there’s anything they can do about the “2 day delivery” charge and the yank told me “No, because it goes out on a 2 day delivery WHEN THEY GET IT BACK IN STOCK, which is in 2 weeks time”. Great, so I’m not being ripped off at all
Nice to know.
Damn that’s annoying. Oh well, at least I know It’s been ordered. Now to abandon the T-Mobile ship and join 3
Ah, the good feeling of leaving T-Mobile – can’t wait to ditch them in January.
Does anyone have any good advice or experience between a sim-only deal between GiffGaff and 3? My leaning to the former is due to their slightly lower charges for texting and calling abroad – but not sure about their lack of customer service?
A lot of people in my office use giffgaff, as will I when I get my Nexus 4.
giffgaff apparently uses O2 transmitters and all my work colleagues say they’ve had no issues at all with giffgaff. It seems to be the future.
3 haven’t got the best signal around, we know that. However, they have phenomenal data coverage; i.e. 99% of the time, if you have signal, you will also have data.
Their customer service on the phone is horrible, but I’ve never had a bad experience when walking into the store and talking to the guys there. Most of the time, they will get the problem sorted for you in store.
GiffGaff use O2 networks, so you will get signal/data almost identical to O2. Though I can’t comment on their customer service I’m afraid.
I was with 3 for 2 years, and just last month took out a contract with them for another 2 years (Nexus 4, may I add). No regrets with either of those decisions. (If it helps, I also live out in the sticks where signal isn’t exactly in abundance with any of the networks, and still get on fine)
Cheers for the replies guys. Given that I spend most of my time in SW and Central London, I think that signal should not be a big issue on either GiffGaff or 3 – although I presume that data will be faster on the 3 network given that they plan to cover 80% of the UK with HSPA+ by the end of 2012.
With the pricing being relatively similar for the package I want, the toss up was mainly over the cost of texting abroad and customer service. Think I will plump for GiffGaff, and if it becomes a hassle I can easily switch to 3 as its only a rolling month contract.
For calling while abroad you can buy a sim in whatever country you are in and access cheaper call and data rates while away. That is the joy of an unlocked phone! So for example, get a 3 deal for the uk but when in Europe get a local 3 sim and stick it in the phone when you want to make a call or use data. You pay nothing to receive call on your uk sim while abroad apparently!
Sorry if I wasn’t clear, I don’t mean texting while roaming. I meant the charges for texting, say Germany, while I am in the UK. Naturally when travelling I pop in a local sim if I am staying any longer than 3-4 days or just rely on Wi-Fi and make calls via Skype.
I’ve just moved from Giffgaff to 3, and the increase in data speed is superb.
I do find the coverage of 3 to not be quite as good, but nothing serious. After the O2 dropouts recently, and the increase in price from £10 to £12, I decided to jump ship to 3 and their £12.90 all you can eat data deal.
Yeah, I am slightly torn because of the speeds available on 3. I guess there is no harm in trying one and if it doesn’t work switching to the other – given that I will no longer be tied into a long contract.
This whole debacle has given Tim Cook a noticeable chubb.
You mean he got a spare Nexus 4 due to the chaos in the store, sold it on eBay and bought a large padlock? Weird thing to do.
Well, Google mess-up or not, I just ordered myself a 16Gb model. Delivery time is far enough away that I might forget about it and get a really nice surprise one day
Mine just shipped!!!!
Just got my email too saying its been shipped even though it said it could be 5-6 weeks, guess they over timed it just in case they couldn’t meet the demand
Sam mine said 5-6 weeks like you mentioned but I just received a message from Google saying it’s been shipped, now it all makes sense why they took the money straight away
Ordered my 16GB at around 7.30pm Tuesday night with an expected shipping date of 4-5 weeks, but got a shipping confirmation yesterday at around 6pm, so I’m happy!
Lot of people who purchased earlier than me though and still sat at pending over on HUKD…. http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/nexus-4-stock-today-5pm-google-play-store-1391519#comments
There’s been a big cock up, I ordered at 17:09 and my order hasn’t moved a bit. I want free shipping for this travesty!
As a follow up, it’s out for delivery right now.
Shortest 4-5 weeks I’ve ever waited!
Well jealous, but am happy that at least someone will get their hands on a Nexus 4 soon.
In terms of the HDUK thread, currently there are more trolls there than in a Lord of the Rings movie. Although some people have clearly had theirs shipped really early, lots of baiting going on.
One guy had a decent explanation – following a chat with Google – is that TNT ship them in blocks, and that its easier to resolve the orders that came in last as they had less to send out than the ones that were ordered during the 5PM rush.
TBH, this phone is one of the best out there. People sometimes have to wait for the better things in life. Now im surprised of googles launch strategy considering that they could learn what it takes from other giants that bring out a product to market, but also that LG cant produce enough. I dont believe that this is some sort of plan from LG – slowing production for their own benefit, I think its a simply under-estimation on googles part and/or they have not considered that the phone will actually sell more than they realised based on the recent financial markets around the globe.
I dont mind waiting, even if it takes three months for stock. My Contract runs out Feb 2013 and was going to renew with Tmobile, but why should I… This is a much better deal even if you have to wait a bit for the logistics and production to catch up. Could have a iphone, S3, or Moto Razr but no I would rather not on all accounts, never mind how much waiting i need to invest in!
Appears shipment has commenced, but not in a logical way, people who ordered last on the 4th are getting there’s first!
Well done google
Sounds pretty messed up. I was quoted 4-5 weeks, yet mine arrived today O_o Oh well! I’m happy at least! Haha